In today’s world, the hiring market is more competitive than ever for workers and businesses alike.

In the days of old, you could walk into a company and apply in person.

This allowed businesses to have more layers of screening by default, as only someone who was pre-qualified would be likely to apply for the job.

How to make sure you get the right candidates

Now, you need to screen people better than ever and make sure you have the right candidate.

Here’s how to make sure you’re doing just that:

Resume experts

Resume writers that can help you, even if you’re the company that is hiring and not the candidate.

The reason is they see a lot of candidates every day and understand how to translate what you are seeing on someone’s resume into real-world experience.

They can teach you how to see through lies, misleading statements, or omissions.

And perhaps most powerfully, they know what kinds of questions you need to ask to get at the heart of what kind of candidate you’re dealing with.

Background checks

Anyone can say anything on their application, over the phone, or even in person.

The only way to really know if they don’t have a criminal history is to conduct your own background check.

While this will incur an extra cost, it is highly valuable.

It lets you know if they have a violent past or history of drug use.

This is crucial to making sure that they are going to fit in with your culture and not distract or harass others with their behavior.

Reference checking

Even though most businesses know they should check references, few actually do.

This is a mistake, however.

If you don’t check in with former supervisors of your candidates, you have no way of knowing their attitudes and effect on others.

Take the time to make that quick five minute call and you won’t regret it.

Leverage job boards

Major job boards can allow you to get the most out of your spending when trying to reach as many candidates as possible.

Potentially anyone in the world that is qualified for your position can find you online today. Do not let this resource go to waste.

Consider paying extra to boost your post as well, that way you will stand out from the crowd of other hiring companies.

Use social tools

Don’t just rely on the old methods of finding people to hire. Use social media, especially if you already have a large presence, to communicate to your audience that you are hiring.

One of your biggest followers or fans just might be interested in coming on board and they could be a valuable part of your team.

Set expectations in advance

The last thing you want to do is hire someone who doesn’t work out.

The best way to do this is to screen them out in advance. Your aim should be to scare away prospects that are not a good fit while attracting top performers when you set your expectations and qualifications on your job postings.

Start with the end in mind

Take a good look at your company values and vision for the future.

Do you plan on moving into a new space or changing certain protocols?

Understand the kind of team you want to assemble and let that guide your decision making with hiring.

That way you can have confidence that you aren’t being seduced by smaller metrics.

In order to have a great business, you need to hire the right people.

Don’t fall into the trap of just hiring the first people that apply for the job.

Use the hiring methods above to make sure you land the right people that are going to help you grow.

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